


"One Flew Over"

by suecsit



Category: Cobra Kai, The Karate Kid
Genre: M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Substance Abuse, part of the bartender series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-10-14 14:27:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17510318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suecsit/pseuds/suecsit
Summary: Johnny hears another side of Daniel's story. Sequel to "Harsh Light of Day."





	"One Flew Over"

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited about the culture of writing and remixing and storytelling that's sprung up lately around Cobra Kai, so I had to update. Thanks everyone for your creativity and your hard work building this amazing archive.

Johnny didn’t really know how to live in a broken world where his childhood crush grew up to be a miserable alcoholic. So he refused thinking about it. Most of the time.

He would unlock the door to the bar, shut the door, and set up for the night shift by blasting 80s rock on the radio while he mopped the floor. He’d wash glassware while he hummed. He’d unload inventory and stack it in the pantry while bobbing his head to “Paradise City.” 

That night in particular, the one directly after the lunch with Daniel, he did all of those things. And then he did more.

The place had never looked so spotless.

Cut to a few hours later when the space was filling with its usual clientele. The sun was setting outside on the beach, and two random beachcombers, rare in February, were arguing on the boardwalk, something about how if they weren’t brothers they wouldn’t even give each other the time of day. Something about a woman and how one brother had moved in too fast. 

Johnny turned to face the other direction. He turned to ask the woman in front of him her order.

“Vodka martini. Ice, ice cold.” 

He stopped. He looked closer. There, in front of him, was the woman who had given that speech at LaRusso Auto about her husband. 

Daniel’s wife.

“Coming right up,” he mumbled and went to fix the drink.

When he brought it back and set it on the table, she didn’t reach for it. He felt like the best thing was to act like he didn’t recognize her so he tossed a dirty towel over his shoulder and turned to the next customer.

Twenty minutes later, after taking more orders and making more drinks, she was still there. Drink untouched. Staring at Johnny. Watching him. 

“If you don’t like it, I can fix you another,” he said, halfheartedly. 

“I want to talk about Daniel,” she replied. After saying the name, she finally took a sip.

 

The place cleared out pretty early, and the few remaining customers were the priority of a twenty-two year old grifter who’d asked for a job several months ago when Johnny had more time to think about hiring. 

He sat down across from Amanda. “Drink?” he offered, motioning the waiter over.

“No thank you.”

He shook his head at the guy, who then went off to flirt with another table of college girls.

“Johnny, I’m wondering how much Daniel has told you.”

“Uh….”

“Please don’t play dumb. I know who you are. It took me a while to put it together.”

Johnny rushed in, “We had lunch. He’s a good guy, he’s…well, we hadn’t seen each other since high school, and he came for a drink…”

“That’s not what I’m concerned about, although I know you’ve seen him more often because he tells me.”

He TELLS her? Johnny thought. Just what does he tell her?

“Johnny, you two seem to be starting, or restarting, a friendship, so I just wanted to keep you in the loop.”

Johnny exhaled a sigh of relief. Friendship. Good. That worked.

“Daniel had a bad year last year.”

“His teacher?”

Amanda nodded. She looked down at the table and then back up. She rubbed her wedding ring finger with her thumb, and she seemed to be searching for words.

Johnny got the feeling this wasn’t a woman who normally couldn’t find the right words. Even in a bar, this was someone who commanded respect. Dressed impeccably. Not an eyelash out of place. Hair done in Beverly Hills, perhaps. Johnny didn’t know where women were getting their hair done these days. 

She finally got it out. “Daniel was….institutionalized after he passed.”

“Wait, you mean after Mr. Miyagi…”

“Yes.”

Johnny felt his cell vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out under the table. One short text from the man himself. NEED TO TALK. 

He slipped it casually back in his pants pocket. 

Amanda looked at him as if to ask a question. Then she changed her mind.

“So…” he cleared his throat. “Daniel was in the loony bin. For how long?”

“Two months. Until his insurance, well, our insurance maxxed out.”

“Two months.” He didn’t know what people said in situations like this, so he found himself repeating everything she said.

“There were times that…” Amanda trailed off. “Johnny, it took his doctors a while to figure out the right dosage of medication and he would ramble sometimes. Stay up all night talking to himself. Doctors filled me in. One of the things he talked about was you and karate. I think you should know that…”

“Uh…”

“I can’t stay long…” she glanced at her own phone to check the time, “but Daniel seems to have been obsessed with you when both of you were teenagers. And when Miyagi passed that obsession came back up…Has he…told you this?”

“No.”

“You didn’t see him by accident that day on the beach. That day he had sun poisoning.”

“What?”

“He’d looked you up.”

“That’s…” he shook his head a little. “He looked shocked to see me. He was dehydrated…”

“And he probably was both things. But he knew where you worked.”

Johnny stared at the table. 

“Johnny, I’m just here to warn you that…not everything is what it seems. Normally I’d be glad that Daniel found a new friend. He’s isolated himself for a year, only putting on a mask for his customers and his kids.”

She sat up straighter. “But you need to know that he’s…well, he’s not entirely himself anymore. Not since he lost his teacher. He’s…unpredictable. He has these mood swings. And, sometimes, he tells these stories that don’t make much sense. He said something about both of you putting your old karate robes on and having a beer late one night. I had trouble following….”

Johnny pushed his chair back from the table. “Mrs. LaRusso,” he began.

“Amanda,” she said.

“Amanda,” he corrected himself. “I…look….I don’t want to get involved with any family drama. He and I…we’re just hanging out.” 

“And I’m just here to tell you you need to be careful.”

“Thanks. I appreciate the warning. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to start closing up.” He stood up, and she took the hint.

As Daniel’s wife was headed toward the door, Johnny couldn’t help it. It just slipped out. “He drinks, you know. A lot.”

Amanda turned to face him. “I know. And he takes drugs that alcohol can interfere with. Keep that in mind the next time he sits on your stool here.”

 

When the place emptied, Johnny took out his phone. “Where r u” and “we need to talk” and “are you there” peppered across the screen.

He finally wrote back. “Not tonight. Stuff came up. Talk tomorrow.”

He watched the screen. Nothing. No message. When he finally made it to his car, he looked again. 1 new message.

“Don’t believe everything she tells you.”

He hit the phone icon to call Daniel. No one picked up. 

He turned the key in the ignition. The phone shook beside him and fell to the carpet under his feet. He scrambled to pick it up.

“What the hell, LaRusso…”

“Johnny, you have to listen-“

“No, you listen. I don’t like being conned. You’ve been lying.”

“That’s not—Jesus, Johnny, lemme explain..” Daniel’s New Jersey accent grew thicker after a few cocktails. He’d been boozing it up at home, Johnny realized. While Amanda was at the bar. Where the hell were the kids?

“What’s your game here? Having a little fun at my expense?”

“Fun???” He laughed hysterically. Johnny had to hold the phone away from his ear. 

Daniel finally settled down. “No, Johnny, I can tell you for a fact I am NOT having fun. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Look, I got to go—“

“Just…let me talk to you. I’m coming by there during my lunch break, ok. You can either let me in or not. But I’ll be t--”

Johnny missed the days of slamming down the receiver. Those good old landline days. Hitting a red button wasn’t nearly as satisfying. 

When he pulled up to his apartment twenty minutes later, he didn’t get out of the car for a long time. He simply hit his head repeatedly against the steering wheel. When he finally looked up, it was close to midnight, and someone was standing at his front door, blocking the entrance.

Daniel.


End file.
